random thoughts – Day 1,666 – (Wednesday) – driving and listening

The garage was a horror show this morning. The first several levels were packed full, then there was a plastic sheeting bisecting the ramp to the remaining upper levels and it wasn’t clear to what degree they were accessible or not. A guy in a truck left his spot and I nabbed it without further wondering or stress.

After work there was a plan to attend the New Hampshire Humanities event beginning at 6:30 at Tupelo Music Hall. The guest speaker was Gregory Maguire, author of the book Wicked,(and many other books). Wicked became a Broadway hit and is soon to be released as a movie. There was no time to go home first and I stayed at the office, waiting for the Lowell traffic to calm down and facilitate the journey. 

Where are the cars? Oops, wrong floor.

When I arrived at the garage, I trotted up to the fourth level upon which I usually park and was met with a desolate scene. The floor was deserted. It inspired a moment of panic as I wondered where all the cars had gone, and most importantly, where my car had gone. I took a deep breath, swallowed the panic, and I went down to the third level, which was as packed with cars as at 8:30 a.m. and was where I had parked today.

During the drive, the sky was pale sky-blue pink and the round, bloated, silver moon was inching upward in the sky. It was beautiful. I have seen few full moons this year, due to forgetting to look or being in the wrong place/wrong time to see it. I was glad to see it tonight.

My friend from work and I arrived in the parking lot at the same time and entered the building to check in and get our table assignments. She knew several people working at the event and introductions were made. Two people were already seated at the table, which featured a centerpiece of a black box with an array of snacks. The two ladies at the table were deep into chomping on bags of popcorn.

The eldest lady, decked out in a bright red jacket with 1980s-era puffy sleeves, allowed for quick introductions, then launched into a tale of her time living in Rome for seven years and teaching at US Department of the Military schools, and blah, blah, blah. And she continued yapping about herself, not allowing anyone else a chance to get a word in.

When two new people joined to complete the table set for six, she asked them a question and used it to launch into her dissertation all over again. She dominated the conversation about what seemed to be her favorite subject – herself – until the lights were dimmed for the presentation. It was kind of terrifying in the sense that it reminded me of myself. Sometimes, but not all the time, thank gawd. Then I hoped I was being paranoid and just imagining I’m like that. Then I was scared all over again that probably I am like the lady in the red jacket.

Red jacket lady also singlehandedly proceeded to eat most of the contents of the snack box intended for the whole table. She was crinkling the bags and chomping her Chex Mix which sounded as loud as rocks once the program had begun. Her friend even leaned over once or twice and shushed her. She was writing notes with a pencil on yellow paper and they were the loudest notes I’ve ever heard scratched out.

Gregory Maguire and Jaed Coffin.

In and around the noise of the lady to my right, the presentation took place on the stage with two writers seated in armchairs and talking. Jaed Coffin, journalist, memoirist, lecturer, and associate professor of English at University of New Hampshire asked keynote speaker and author Gregory Maguire questions about his life and his work and what inspires it. 

Maguire coped with his childhood, which began with his mother dying during his birth and had some rough spots for a while after, by reading fairy tales. Eventually, he invented his own worlds in his writing, which began at an early age and which he still has stored in a box. It was interesting, entertaining, and inspiring. Maybe I'll finally get to reading some of the Maguire volumes sitting on my shelf for years.